ZAGREB, July 14 (Hina) - The Croatian parliament adopted amendments to the Labour Act on Monday, cutting dismissal notices and severance pays. Seventy-one deputies voted in favour, 45 against while five abstained.
ZAGREB, July 14 (Hina) - The Croatian parliament adopted amendments
to the Labour Act on Monday, cutting dismissal notices and
severance pays. Seventy-one deputies voted in favour, 45 against
while five abstained. #L#
Under the new law, employees will be given two weeks' notice if they
have less than a year of continual service with the same employer,
and up to three months if they have worked for the same employer
continually for 20 years. The highest severance pay will be in the
amount of six monthly salaries.
The government said that previous lengths of dismissal notices and
levels of severance wages had significantly raised the fixed costs
of the employers and slowed down the restructuring of the Croatian
economy as a precondition for economic growth and higher
employment.
The new law introduced a contribution to be paid by non-members of
trade unions if it is approved in a referendum by a majority of
employees. The objection by some deputies who saw the contribution
as a membership fee for union non-members and in violation of the
Constitution, was rejected.
"That sort of tax is not in agreement with civil law. Trade unions
should attract new members in a more appropriate way," Zelimir
Janjic of the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS) said,
criticising the trade unions for agreeing to a reduction of
workers' rights at the government's urging.
Also rejected was an amendment tabled by Jadranka Kosor of the
Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), who proposed that parents of new-
born babies should have the right to have their jobs kept until
their children reach the age of three rather than two, as provided
for by the new law.
(hina) vm sb